Switch



' I H. J. L. FRANK SWITCH j Fil'ec} May 5. 1922 Patented 0a; 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

HARRISON J. L. FRANK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MUTUAL ELECTRIC AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF DETROIT,

- GINIA.

MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIR- SWITCH.

Application filed May 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARnIsoN J. L. FRANK, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved S witch, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to switches having stationary terminals in pairs and pivoted-- contact arms adapted to bridge across between the terminals, and especially to that class of switches in which the. actuating member connects to the contact arms by means of a spring which is subject to considerable tension before the arms move, re sulting in a rapid movement of the arms to engage and disengage the contacts and terminals, and the object of this present invention is not only to provide simple and efficient resilient mechanism for actuating the contact arms, but-also to provide a posltive connection between the actuator and the contact arms by means of which the arms are positively forced to disengage the terminals should the adherence between them be too. great for the spring to overcome. 7 Another object of-this invention is to mount a coil spring directly on the positive connector between the actuator and the contact arms so that should the spring break, 1ts ends cannot become entangled in current carrying parts of the switch. further ob 'ject of the invention is to provide a switch which can be constructed at low cost and in which the various partare assembled on a rigid frame so that the switch can be mounted as a unit on an insulating base.

This. invention is embodied ina switch shown in the accompanying drawing and 1s particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, F g. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is a sideelevatlon of this improved switch. Fig. 3 1s a new similar to Fig. 2 with the contacts moved to open position. Figs. 4' and 5 are'sections on the line H of Fig. 1 showing the actuator in two different positions- Fig. 6 is a section .on the line 66 of'Fig. 2L

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Y the sides and bent up to lie flat with the top 3 to form a broadersurface to secure the 1922. Serial No. 558,791.

plate.

The actuator consists of a metal yoke of any desired construction formed with the sides 5 which lie between the sides 2 of the base and may have short pivots 6 at their lower ends mounted in proper holes in the sides 2 of the frame, a top 7, and a small transverse member 8 extending between the sides 5. Any desired means may be employed to swing the actuator in its pivots (3, the device shown being a handle 9 of any suitable material such as fibre, gutta-percha or similar substances, or metal if desired, which handle may be provided with segmental arms 10 which close the opening 12 in the top 2 through which the handle 9 extends. The handle need not'be central of the actuator 'unless so desired.

The contact carrier consists" of two sides 14 outside of the sides 2 of the base, a bottom 15 having an car 16 pressed upwards, and, if desired, two arms 17 having downturned ends 18. WVhere width is not desired, the arms 17 may be omitted and the contacts secured directly to the sides 14 or suitably spaced therefrom. A connector 19 at its lower end hooks into the ear 16 and with its hook-shaped upper end it'connects to the cross member 8 of the actuator, although it may be reversed if desired, or given any other form which will permit a slidable connection with one of the main members within fixed limits. The spring 20 connects to this part 8 and to the lower end of the link 19. If the lower end of the spring connected to the ear 16, the link would rattle at each actuation of the switch, although this would not prevent the switch from operating properly and such mounting of the spring may be adopted if desired. The sides 14 are mounted on the pivots 22 carried by the sides 2 which are some distance above the pivots 6 of the actuator. .It

is to be understood that in all cases the acting as stops for the carrier. The frame of this switch is formed of This switch has a pair of terminals 25 on each other. The knife-shaped terminals have feet24 extending inwardl below the feet of the frame and insulated therefrom each side which are entirely independent of I by the squares 26 which are held in position by the flanges 27 formed in those feet. A plate 28 of insulation extends between the feet on each side of the frame and metal eyelets 29 may be used to secure the parts together. Y

. Secured to the down-turned ends 18 of the contact. carrier are pairs of arms 31, each preferably formed of two leaves held together at their middle portions by means of the ends 18,- plates 32 of insulating material, metal plates 33 and rivets 34. Opposite edges 35 of the ends of these arms 31 are flared out to permit ready entrance of the terminals 25. between the two members which constitute the arms as shown in Fig. 1, edges of the terminals being made sharp to assist in this entrance.

When the parts are as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4:, the ends of the contact arms receive the terminals and the parts are held in this position by the friction between the term??- nals and' contact arms and the pull of the spring 20. -Wh en the actuator is moved to the .7 position shown in Fig. 5, tension is placed on the spring but no movement of the contact carrier occurs until the line between the shaft 8 and the ear 16 has passed some distance to the left of the pivot 22, at which time a turning pull is exerted by the spring 20 on the contact carrier. When this pull is suflicient to overcome the stick between the arms and the terminals, the arms will be snapped over to the position shown in Fig. 3 by this spring 20.

. In a similar manner, when the actuator is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4:, there is a delayed movement of the contact carrier until the vline of the spring moves across the pin 22 and the tension on the spring is sufiicient to overcome the friction. -At that instant the spring will snap the contact carrier to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. This structure is therefore a quick-make and quick-break switch. It will be noted that this snap does not occur until the line of the.

spring passes thepivot 22'for the contact carrier and'that by that time, the spring is well tensioned.

It sometimes happens that small areas of the arms and terminals are electrically weld-' ed together or that they are stuck together for other reasons to such a degree that the spring 20 is not sufiiciently strong to sepa rate them. I therefore provide the link 19 which normally is inoperative, but which forms a positive operative connection between the pin 8 and the ear 16 and begins to pull the lower part 15 of the contact carrier to the left in Fig. 5 when the actuator reaches the position indicated in dotted lines in this ig. 5. This pull may become sufiiciently great to disengage the contacts at the ends of the arms and the terminals,-after By positioning the 'pivot 6 of the'actuator somewhat to the left ofthe central line of the switch, as shown in Fig. 2, the action of the spring in swinging the contact arms from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 is much stronger and faster than when moving the arms in the opposite direction. This causes the movement of these arms while disengaging the terminals to be very fast and substantially avoids arcing.

This positive connection between the actuator and'the contact carrier may be used in many other types of snap switches and I do not wish to be limited to the use of the contact arms and terminals nor to the finger 9 shown in the drawings. Thedetails and proportions may all be changed by those skilled in the electric arts without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim 1-- 1. In a switch, the combination of a frame having'spaced sides, a contact carrier pivoted on the frame and comprising sides outside the frame and a cross member connecting the sides, an actuator pivoted within the frame adjacent the path of said cross member, resilient and positive connectors between said contact carrier and the actuator, a pair of stationary contacts mounted on the frame, and a pair of contacts mounted on the contact carrier adapted to engage and disengage the stationary contacts as the contact carrier is moved by the actuator.

2. In a switch, the combination of a frame having spaced sides, a contact carrier pivoted on the frame and comprising sides outside the frame and a cross member connecting the sides, an actuator pivoted within the frame adjacent the'path of said cross member, a pair of stationary contactsm unted on each side of the frame, a pair of contacts mounted on the contact carrier ateach side of the frame adapted to engage and disengage the stationary contacts, and

resilient and positive connectors between gagement and disengagement of said contacts.

3. In a switch, the combination of a support and a contact thereon, a contact carrier pivoted on the frame and a contact on said carrier, an actuator pivoted on the frame a distance" from the pivot for the contact carrier, a coil spring and a link within the spring connecting at their ends to the contact carrierand. actuator a distance from their respective pivots, the ends of the spring and link attached to the actuator and adapted to be moved to tension the spring thereon and adapted to engage the stationary contact, an actuator pivoted'adistance from the pivot for the'contact carrier, a, coil spring connecting at its ends to the contact carrier/aridactuator and adapted to be tensioned by the actuator until the line 'of 'the spring passes over the pivot for the con-R tact carrier to cause the spring to snap the contacts into and out ofengagemenhand a link within the spring connecting the" carrier and actuator and having a'slidable connection with one ot them to positively cause the contacts to engage-or disengage-- when the spring fails tofunction for that purpose. i

. 5, In a qu'ick make," quick-break mecha nism, a pivoted operated member adapted to spring back'and forth between predeter'-' mined limits, an actuator pivoted a distance from thepivot 'of said operated member,

and a coil Spring and a link within the spring'connecting the actuating member and the operatedmember .andlfadapted to be moved across the line connecting the pivots" of said members, said spring being thereby tensioned to swing the operated .member in either direction, and said link serving to pos tively swing the operated .member 1n either direction when said spring is mop-I erative for such purpose. a

6. In a quick-make, quick-break mechanism, a pivoted operated member adapted to spring'back and forth between predetermined limits, an actuator pivoted a distance from the pivot of said operated member, anda spring and linkconnecting the actuatbeing ing member and the operated member and "adapted to bemoved across the line 0011- necting the, pivots of said members, said spring being thereby tensioned to swing the operated member in either direction, the angular' distance traveled by said operated member from'the line connecting said pivots greater in one directionthan in the otherr 7. ln a quick-malte, quick-break mechaa nism; a pivoted operated member; adapted to springback and forth between predetermined limits, an actuator pivoted a distance from the pivotof said operated member,

and a spring andlink connecting the actu-g ating member and the-operated member and adapted to be moved across the line connectingthe pivots of said members, said spring ated member in either direction, and the rate-of movement of the operated member under the action of said spring being greater in one-direction than in the other. a

' 8. In a quick-make, quick-break switch,

carrieradapted 'to swing back and forth between predetermined limits, a, contact thereonadapted to be carried into and out of engagement with said-stationary contact,

anactuator pivoted a distance. from the pivot for saidcontact carrier, and a spring andlink connecting the actuator and the contact carrier and adapted to be moved across the line connecting the pivots of said 60. belng thereby tensioned to swing the opera stationary contact, 'a pivoted contact members, said springbeing thereby tendirection, the rate of movement of the contact carrier under the'action of the spring being greatenwh'en the contacts are disensioned to swing the contact carrier in either gaged than when they are caused to engage."

HA'RRISON J. L; FRANK. 

